Citizen Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard Prepare for Overseas Deployment

By Major William Carraway

Historian, Georgia National Guard

Left: Major General Tom Carden, Georgia’s Adjutant General, addresses Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard’s 178th Military Police Company
during a departure ceremony in the unit’s home town of Monroe, Ga. October 20, 2023.  The unit is preparing for its fourth overseas deployment
since September 11, 2001. Right: Guidon of the 178th MP Company

The Georgia National Guard’s 178^th Military Police Company held a departure ceremony in their hometown of Monroe, Georgia October 20, 2023 to herald their upcoming overseas deployment. The unit previously deployed in support of overseas operations in Iraq in 2003 and 2009.

 

The 178^th MP Company is the latest in a long unbroken chain of Georgia National Guard units who have supported overseas operations since September 11, 2001. More than 23,000 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen have deployed in support of operations in all geographic combat commands. 

 

The 178th MP Company October 20, 2023.

The 178th MP Company has a long history and tradition of overseas service. The earliest Georgia National Guard unit from Monroe was the Walton Guards, which was established in 1874. The unit mobilized to the Mexican Border in 1917 and deployed to France in 1918. In World War II, the unit, then part of the 950^th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion deployed to the Pacific Theater where it provided air defense during the Guadalcanal and New Guinea Campaigns.

 

Soldiers from the 178th MP Company augmented the 190^th MP Company in September 1990 and deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield. The MPs were among the first Georgia Guardsmen deployed overseas where they were stationed in Saudi Arabia.

 

On February 11, 2002, the 178th MP Company was ordered to active federal service in support of Operation Noble Eagle. The unit provided MP support to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and augmented security at installations in Georgia. The 178th was released from active-duty December 17, 2002 but was again ordered to active federal service 2003 for 12-month deployment to Iraq. The unit returned to Iraq in 2008 and supported combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 

Major General Tom Carden, Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard, conducts the reenlistment ceremony for Sgt. Kyle Potts of the 178th Military Police
Company during a departure ceremony in the unit’s home town of Monroe, Ga. October 20, 2023.

In addition to its robust overseas experience, the 178^th MP Company has played a vital role in numerous state missions responding to hurricanes, winter storms and floods. In March 2020, MPs from Monroe were among the first Georgia Guardsmen called to active duty in support of Georgia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From May 2020 through 2021, the 178th MP Company supported law enforcement officials and augmented security at key locations in response to civil demonstrations, the contested 2020 election and subsequent presidential inauguration.

Near the conclusion of the departure ceremony, Capt. John Lockstedt, commander, of the 178^th MP Company, spoke to Soldier’s family members who had gathered to see their loved one’s goodbye.

“You don’t need me to tell you how loved and appreciated you are. “The truth is, we could not do this without you.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul Tremblay, commander of the 170th Military Police Battalion; and Capt. John Lockstedt, commander, of the 178th MP Company,
at the conclusion of the company’s departure ceremony in Monroe, Ga. October 20, 2023.

The 170th Cyber Protection Team

By Maj. William Carraway

Historian, Georgia National Guard.

 

The 170th Cyber Protection Team at Fort Gillem, Ga. August 5, 2018. Photo by Maj. William Carraway. Inset: Shoulder-sleeve
insignia of the 91st Cyber Brigade.

In 2015, the Georgia National Guard was selected to host one of the first three cyber protection teams established in the National Guard. Selected from among nomination packets from 45 states, the Georgia National Guard activated the 170th in the fall of 2015. The California National Guard also fielded a CPT In 2015 while Michigan, Indiana and Ohio contributed personnel to form the third CPT. On October 2, 2016, the 170th CPT was federally recognized. By the end of 2017, ten CPTs had been established to combat emerging cyber threats.

 

Major Michael G. Mallon, commander of the 170th CPT briefs Brig. Gen. John T. Gentry during a capability briefing at Forest Park Ga., January 11, 2020.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class R.J. Lannom Jr.

The mission of the 170^th Cyber Protection Team is to conduct defensive cyberspace operations on military networks to support mission requirements ad identified by Department of Defense or state leadership. Cyber protection teams are staffed by Army National Guard Soldiers who train and operate on a traditional part-time basis; however, the CPT can be mobilized for federal service in the event that additional assets are required by Army Cyber Command. The governor of Georgia can also call upon CPT expertise to provide cyber protection on government networks.  

 

Sergeant Morgan Chafin, an intelligence analyst assigned
to the 170th CPT monitors cyber activity during exercise
Cyber Dawg 21 Sept. 14, 2021, at the Georgia Cyber Center
in Augusta, Georgia. Photo by Capt. Bryant Wine.

In December 2016, the unit received its first mobilization. The following year, the 170th was mobilized in support of the three primary missions of the DOD’s cyber strategy:  defending DoD networks, systems, and information; defending the U.S. homeland and U.S. national interests against cyberattacks of significant consequence; and providing cyber support to military operational and contingency plans. Thirty Soldiers of the 170th CPT were mobilized in support of Cyber Command operations from April 2017 to May 2018.

 

The 170th CPT underwent its first change of command August 5, 2018 as Maj. George Allen relinquished command to Capt. Michael Mallon. In 2023 command passed from Maj. Mallon to Maj. Adam Tolar.

In 2021 the 170th completed exercise Cyber Dawg 21. Also participating in the exercise were cyber experts of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 283rd Communications Squadron, 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron and 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron.

 

In June 2023 the 170th participated in Cyber Shield 2023. The exercise was held at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock, Arkansas June 2-16, 2023 and drew more than 800 participants representing military, government and civilian leaders from 25 states.

Soldiers of the 170th CPT were among nearly 800 participants at the Cyber Shield Training Exercise June 2-16, 2023 at the Professional Education
Center, Little Rock Ark. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffery Reno.

Key Dates in the History of the 78th Troop Command

By Maj.William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

Left: Brigadier General Horace Cheek, first commander of the Troop Command. Right: Guidons of units assigned to the 78th Troop Command in 2017.
Photo by Pfc. Isaiah Matthews.

Early History

The Georgia Army National Guard’s 78^th Troop Command was organized and federally recognized as the Command-and-Control Headquarters in Atlanta October 1, 1978 to provide command and control for separate organizations within the state.[1] Prior to the establishment of the CAC, these units were organized under the Emergency Operations Center and later the 122^nd Support Center. Upon organization, the CAC adopted the Oglethorpe crest shoulder-sleeve insignia which had been created for the State Headquarters Detachment in 1970.[2]

The CAC was initially composed of Army aviation, signal, public affairs, maintenance, transportation, medical, military police companies and the Army band. Commanded by Brig, Gen. Horace L. Cheek Jr., the CAC supported active Army units at Fort Benning, Fort Campbell, Anniston Army Depot, the US Military Academy and NATO forces in West Germany during fiscal year 1979.[3]

A CH-54 of the 1160th Transportation Company (Heavy Helicopter) in flight circa 1980. Georgia Guard Archives.

The 1980s

In 1980, with an authorized strength of 2,854, CAC units participated in a command post exercise with the 167^th Corps Support Command at Fort Anniston, Ala.[4]

In 1981, the 1^st Battalion, 122^nd Infantry Tow Light Anti-Tank Battalion became mission capable as part of the CAC. The 122^nd was one of four TLAT units in the nation.

In 1982, the CAC was reorganized and redesignated as Troop Command in order to streamline its mobilization capabilities.[5] The 170^th Military Police Battalion participated in an overseas deployment training exercise in Mannheim, West Germany and the 122^nd Support Center participated in Exercise Vulcan Knight at Camp Blanding, Fla.[6] The aviation component of the Troop Command continued to grow with the 151st Military Intelligence Battalion, comprised of the 158th and 159^th MI Companies flying the OV-1 Mohawk and the 1160^th Transportation Company which operated the CH-54 Skycrane.[7]

An OV-1 Mohawk of the 158th Military Intelligence Battalion in flight. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In 1983, the 122^nd TLAT was rated as combat ready and the 277^th Maintenance Company supported active-duty units during annual training in West Germany.[8] The Troop Command, then composed of 24 units in 12 Georgia locations participated in extensive mobilization exercises designed to familiarize units with their war-time mission and area of operation.

Headquarters of Troop Command moved from Atlanta to Decatur in 1984. That year, the 122^nd TLAT won the National Guard Bureau’s Milton A. Reckford Trophy with Company C receiving the Eisenhower Trophy designating the most outstanding National Guard unit in Georgia. Personnel from Troop Command again conducted overseas deployment training in West Germany.[9]

In 1985, personnel from the 110^th Maintenance Battalion, 277^th Maintenance Company and 122^nd Rear Area Operations Center mobilized to West Germany for ODT missions while units of the 122^nd TLAT participated in Exercise Cascade Peak in Fort Lewis, Wa. The following year, Company A, 122^nd TLAT mobilized for Team Spirit Exercise in South Korea. Members of the 151st Military Intelligence Battalion also mobilized in support of Team Spirit. Meanwhile, the 138^th Medical Company and 122^nd RAOC supported ODT missions in Europe.[10]

WINDER, Ga. November 2, 1986 - Soldiers of the 78th Troop Command's 122nd TLAT Battalion became the first Georgia Guardsmen
to drill with the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle. The HMMWV replaced the jeeps that had been the mainstay of the Ga. Army National Guard.

By the end of 1986 the 122^nd TLAT became the first unit in the Georgia Guard to field a new low-profile vehicle known as a HMMWV.[11] Company A, 122^nd deployed to Korea for the Team Spirit Exercise while members of the 151^st MI Battalion augmented maintenance operations of the 2^nd Division in Korea. Soldiers of the 138^th Medical Company and 122^nd Rear Area Operations Center additionally mobilized to Europe for Battle Book and Crested Eagle exercises.

1987 found several Troop Command units overseas for ODT missions. The 110^th Maintenance Battalion and 138^th Medical Company travelled to Ecuador for Blazing Trail Exercise while the 124^th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment travelled to Panama. Troop Command welcomed new units in 1987 including Company H, 122^nd Infantry Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon and the 202^nd Explosive Ordnance Detachment. Troop Command also sent 300 Soldiers in support of the Forsyth, Ga. “Brotherhood March.”[12]

Soldiers of the 166th Maintenance Company prepare for a training mission at Fort Stewart April 25, 1988. Photo by Elliott Minor.

Troop Command Soldiers from the 170^th MP Battalion participated in cold weather training In Minnesota in 1988. Later that year, the battalion sent MPs in support of the Democrat National Convention. The 82nd Maintenance Company conducted annual training in West Germany and the 122^nd RAOC and 201^st Maintenance Company supported missions in Germany for the Return of Forces to Europe exercise. 122^nd TLAT personnel returned to Korea for Team Spirit and also supported Exercise Crested Eagle in California.[13]

By 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell, Troop Command was comprised of 35 units and was heavily involved in exercises around the world. In addition to operations in Virginia, Florida and Washington, Troop Command Soldiers participated in Operation Quetzal in Guatemala and Yama Sakura in Japan.[14]

The 1990s

In August, 1990, the first units of the Georgia Army National Guard were mobilized for Desert Storm service with the 190^th MP and 1148^th Transportation Company arriving first in Saudi Arabia with the 165^th Supply Company soon to follow. The 1148^th TC would travel more than 520,000 miles and deliver nearly 10 million gallons of fuel during Operation Desert Shield/Storm and the 190^th MP Company would provide supply route and VIP security. The 166^th Maintenance Company was mobilized to Fort Stewart to assist the 48^th Brigade with its mobilization and the 124^th MPAD would accompany the 48^th to Fort Irwin, Calif. The 202^nd Ordnance Detachment mobilized to Fort Drum and conducted more than 70 missions in a four-state area.[15]

The years following Operation Desert Storm brought reorganization and reductions. The 122^nd TLAT was inactivated in September 1992. The same reorganization brought the 1^st Battalion 214^th Field Artillery into the TC. The 1-214^th conducted training in Norway in September 1992 while the 277^th Maintenance Company conducted training in Germany. Further reorganizational changes found the 151^st converting to form a medical evacuation battalion while the 110th Maintenance Battalion converted to form a corps support battalion. The Troop Command also received the 117^th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.[16]

The 117th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at Fort Stewart. Georgia National Guard Archives.

A major reorganization in 1994 caused Troop Command to be redesignated as the 78^th Troop Command under command of Col. Robert Hughes. Under the consolidated structure, the 78^th TC received the 265^th Engineer Group, to include the 560^th and 878^th Engineer Battalions. For several years thereafter, the State Area Command was divided into two separate units: the 48^th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) and the 78^th Troop Command. In 1994, the 1-214^th returned to Norway and conducted training with Norwegian and Canadian forces. Nearly 100 Soldiers of the 277^th Maintenance Company deployed to Kuwait in June to participate in overseas deployment training. Company G, 244^th Aviation Regiment supported the Florida National Guard ahead of their 1995 rotation at Fort Irwin while the 1177^th Transportation Company participated in exercises in Mississippi and Texas. Company B, 244^th Aviation prepared to become the first company in the Georgia National Guard to receive the UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter and the 117^th MASH provided medical support to Winn Army Hospital at Fort Stewart as part of their annual training. The 151^st EVAC received the U-21 aircraft in support of its new mission.[17]

Staff of Headquarters Detachment, 170th Military Police Battalion in 1991. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In 1997, the 78^th Troop Command was 3,600 strong. [18] The following year, the 1-214^th became the first Georgia Guard unit to field the Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer. Headquarters hosted ten physicians from the country of Georgia to witness U.S. military and civilian medical practices. Following the outbreak of massive forest fires, the 1^st Battalion, 171^st Combat Support Aviation Battalion and Detachment 1, Company F, 131^st Aviation were called to provide mission support to the state of Florida.[19]

By 1999, the 3,000 member 78^th TC was comprised of the 265^th Engineer Group, the 878^th Engineer Battalion, 110^th Corps Support Battalion, 151^st Medical Evacuation Battalion and the 122^nd Rear Operations Center. The aviation units that had formerly been part of the Troop Command were now organized under the 1^st Aviation Group, forerunner of today’s 78^th Aviation Troop Command. Command of the 78^th transitioned from Brig. Gen. Michael Seely to Col. Terrell T. Reddick. Seely advanced to command the Georgia Army National Guard. Later that year, the 110^th CSB participated in Operation Golden Cargo 99, a massive transportation operation reminiscent of Patriot Bandoleer in 2015. The 110^th CSB transported 4,500 tons of MLRS pods from Northern Illinois to Eastern Texas. Engineers of the 878^th participated in Operation Caribbean Castle in the Dominican Republic and the 277^th Maintenance Company spent three weeks in Germany. Travelling to Panama, the 202^nd EOD cleared small arms and artillery ranges of unexploded ordnance. Also deploying to Panama, the 178^th Military Police Company supported the closing of the Panama Canal Zone and was the last US Reserve component unit to rotate through the country before the transition. LRS Soldiers traveled to the country of Georgia and Tunisia in support of operations. In June, the 221^st MI Battalion made history when Lt. Col. Maria Britt became the first female battalion commander in the history of the Georgia National Guard.[20]

FORT MCPHERSON, September, 2002 - Sergeant Harold Davis. a Georgia National Guardsman with the 190th Military Police Company, waves traffic
through to the next stop at the Fort McPherson gates. The 190th MPs were mobilized to augment Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem security following
the September 11 terrorist attacks. Photo by Spc. Jeff Lowry.

The Global War on Terror

In 2001, Brig. Gen. Reddick commanded 3,560 Troop Command Soldiers. By 2003, 3,000 Troop Command Soldiers were serving in the Middle East. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Soldiers of the 78^th Troop Command were the first Georgia Guard Soldiers in Afghanistan. Beginning with the November 2001 mobilization of the 122^nd ROC, the 78^th TC began a steady mobilization schedule in support of the Global War on Terror. The 139^th Chaplain Detachment was the last unit of the 78^th deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2010 while the 170^th Cyber Protection Team was the last Troop Command unit to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Units of the 78^th TC continue to support overseas contingency operations, most recently with the deployment of personnel of the 165th Quartermaster Company in September 2023. From 2001-2023, units of the 78^th Troop Command mobilized on more than 40 separate deployments.

May 2, 2010 - Guardsmen from Kennesaw’s 277th Maintenance Company receive an honorable sendoff from the city’s mayor, Mark Mathews
 and military dignitaries before deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Homeland Response

While maintaining a steady overseas deployment schedule, units of the 78^th Troop Command participated in missions at home ranging from the flood of 1994 and the herculean effort in support of the 1996 Olympic Games to support for the G8 conference at Sea Island in the summer of 2004.[21] In 2006, the Kennesaw-based 781^st Troop Command assumed the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear role in support of homeland response.[22]

MONTEZUMA, Ga. July, 1994 - Tropical Storm Alberto dropped 25 inches of rain on Southwest Georgia and nearly 4,000 Georgia Guardsmen
mobilized to assist. Among those responding were Soldiers of the Augusta-based 878th Engineer Battalion seen here bulldozing fresh dirt
over a washed-out road. Photo by Spc. Chris Pearson.

In 2010, the 78^th Troop Command was selected as one of ten regional homeland response forces in the nation.[23] The headquarters of 78^th TC moved from Decatur to the Clay National Guard Center in July 2011.[24] The 78^th maintained the HRF mission until the establishment of the 201^st Regional Support Group as a separate major command on October 1, 2013.[25]

Recent History

Over the past decade, Soldiers of the 78^th Troop Command have supported a wide array of missions at home and abroad. The 265^th Regional Support Group based in Metter Georgia supplied an Agricultural Development Team which mobilized to Afghanistan in 2013. That same year, the 110^th Combat Service Support Battalion supported logistics missions in Africa while the 124^th MPAD assisted the country of Georgia in development of its national disaster response plan.[26] In 2014, the 265 RSG participated in Operation Golden Coyote in South Dakota and the Medical Detachment supported U.S. Army Health clinic operations in Vincenza, Italy.[27] In 2015, the 110^th CSSB supported Operation Bandoleer transporting more than 2,500 containers across the United States and later supported Ulchi Freedom Guardian in Korea. That same year, the 78^th received the 170^th Cyber Protection Team, one of the first ten CPTs established.[28] The following year, the 78^th TC lost the 265^th RSG to inactivation but gained the services of the 116^th Aerial Intelligence Brigade and the 560th Battlefield Coordination Detachment. Later in 2016, units of the 78^th were activated in support of Hurricane Matthew Response Operations.[29]

Just one year after Hurricane Matthew, the 78^th TC responded to the impact of Hurricane Irma supplying emergency relief supplies to impacted coastal areas. Soldiers of the 124^th MPAD and 221^st EMIB deployed to Cuba in support of Task Force Guantanamo Bay and the 170^th mobilized to Fort Meade in support of Cyber operations. The 122^nd Tactical Support Detachment assisted the 7^th Infantry Division at the Yakima Training Center during Exercise Bayonet Focus and the 110^th CSSB supported a second iteration of Patriot Bandoleer.[30]

In 2018, the 82^nd Maintenance Company, 406^th Quartermaster Detachment and Company H, 121^st Long Range Surveillance Unit inactivated. The devastation wrought by Hurricane Michael again prompted activation of 78^th TC units in 2018. The 1148^th Transportation Company provided critical logistical support to the relief effort and were among the last Soldiers on duty in support of the response.[31] In 2019, the 1148^th was again called to active duty to support hurricane relief efforts following Hurricane Dorian.[32]

Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers from the Fort Gordon-based 1148th Transportation Company provide support to a Fulton County COVID-19
testing site warehouse in Alpharetta, Ga. on June 24, 2020. Georgia Guardsmen assist in the warehouse by loading and organizing the personal
protective equipment to be distributed to various locations throughout Fulton County. Photo by Spc. Tori Miller.

Units and personnel of the 78^th Troop Command played key roles during Georgia’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic with units supporting food bank and distribution operations, assisting the Department of Public Health and staffing infection control teams and rapid testing teams.

The 78th Troop Command continues to support overseas training missions. Soldiers have mobilized to the Country of Georgia for multiple iterations of Exercise Noble Partner and Agile Spirit while Soldiers of the 124th MPAD have documented missions in Korea and Morocco. 

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeron Walker of the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Georgia Army National Guard, conducts an interview with
 Spc. Michael Brannon of the 148th Brigade Support Battalion in Tantan, Morocco on June 8, 2021. Photo by U.S. Army Spc. Nathan Smith.

---

[1] OA 144-82

[2] GA NGR 670-5 May 28, 1970.

[3] Robert Whistine. “What’s This CAC Thing?” The Georgia Guardsman. April 30, 1979, 13.

[4] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1980, 14.

[5] OA 144-82.

[6] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1982, 18.

 

[7] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1982, 21.

 

[8] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1983, 5.

 

[9] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1984, 5.

 

[10] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1985, 3.

 

[11] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1986. 4.

 

[12] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1987, 2-3.

 

[13] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1988, 3.

 

[14] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1989. 2.

 

[15] Kenneth Davis. “After the Storm.” Georgia Guardsman Magazine Fall 1991, 1-6.

[16] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1993, 6.

 

[17] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1994, 7.

 

[18] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1997, 14.

 

[19] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1998, 7.

 

[20] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 1999, 9-10.

 

[21] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2004. 13.

 

[22] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2006, 6.

 

[23] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2010, 12.

 

[24] OA 215-11

[25] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2013, 17.

 

[26] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2013, 17.

[27] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2014, 20.

[28] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2015, 20.

[29] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2016, 19.

[30] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2017, 19.

[31]Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2018, 19.

[32] Annual Report of the Georgia Department of Defense 2019, 18.